The invention lies in the field of appliances. The invention relates to a baking oven with a cooking space, in which a tubular, multiply bent radiant heating element is secured in a substantially horizontally extending heating element plane, and with a temperature sensor for regulating the temperature of the cooking space. The sensor tube of temperature sensor is disposed in close proximity to the radiant heating element for thermal coupling to the heating element. The invention relates to a correspondingly configured temperature sensor.
A baking oven is disclosed in German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 195 44 908 A1. In the document, an outer grill heating element and an inner grill heating element is secured on a heating element flange by various stabilizing bars in the region of the ceiling of the cooking space of the baking oven. Moreover, a straight thermally protective sensor tube is secured in the heating element flange between two straight initial portions of the inner grill-heating element. To achieve a responsive regulation of the temperature in the cooking space reproducibly for a large number of baking ovens, the thermal coupling of the temperature sensor to the heating element, that is, in particular, their relative position with respect to one another, must be noted exactly.
In German Patent DE 34 42 848 C2, it is proposed that the coupling length between the temperature sensor and the radiant heating element of a baking oven should be fixed by appropriate choice of the position of the transitional point between the resistance coil and the straight connecting portion of the radiant heating element in the region along the straight temperature sensor.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a baking oven with a cooking space that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that improves the thermal coupling of the temperature sensor to the radiant heating element.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a baking oven, including walls defining a cooking space, a tubular, multiply-bent radiant heating element secured in the cooking space in a substantially horizontally-extending heating element plane, the heating element having a portion, and a temperature sensor disposed substantially in the heating element plane for regulating temperature of the cooking space, the temperature sensor having a sensor tube disposed in close proximity to the heating element for thermal coupling to the heating element, the sensor tube having at least one curved portion curved around the portion of the heating element, and flexible leads secured in the sensor tube.
The invention achieves these characteristics by securing a temperature sensor with flexible leads in the sensor tube, disposing the temperature sensor substantially in the heating element plane, and by the sensor tube having at least one curved portion, whereby the sensor tube curves around the heating element portion. The configuration makes it possible to place the temperature sensor at locations in the heating element plane that previously could not be achieved for straight sensor tubes. It is possible to dispense with the parallel placement of the straight temperature sensor with respect to a straight heating element portion, which is particularly critical with respect to production tolerances. The possibilities for disposing the temperature sensor according to the invention in a robust way, in terms of automatic control technology, means that it may no longer be necessary to carry out the laborious final checks on the regulating properties of the baking oven. It is particularly favorable if the conventional capillary-tube sensors are replaced by measuring resistors with flexible electric leads that are secured in the sensor tube.
A configuration that is particularly compact and simple in terms of assembly is obtained if the sensor tube and the radiant heating element are secured together on a heating element flange. In spite of being secured together, it is possible, due to the curving of the sensor tube, for the temperature sensor to be placed at any desired point in the heating element plane, and at any suitable location within the radiant heating element.
In order not to be required to place the sensor tube too close to the region of the ceiling of the baking oven, the sensor tube and the radiant heating element are secured in an advantageous way at the same height on a rear wall in the cooking space. Such securing reliably rules out excessive thermal coupling of the temperature sensor to the ceiling of the cooking space.
According to a preferred embodiment, the temperature sensor is disposed approximately at the center of gravity of a measuring area that lies in the heating element plane and is substantially surrounded by heating element portions. Such a configuration of the temperature sensor has proven to be particularly robust. Thus, small positional deviations of the temperature sensor in the measuring area have scarcely any influence on the control response of the baking oven. Moreover, suitable choice of the measuring area makes the coupling of the temperature sensor to the radiant heating element, in terms of automatic control technology, excellent for all operating modes.
In order not to adversely affect the control response of the baking oven, the curved portion of the sensor tube is disposed at a distance from the radiant heating element such that an air gap is formed and no direct heat conduction can take place from the radiant heating element to the sensor tube.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a temperature sensor, including a curved sensor tube, and flexible leads secured in the sensor tube.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a baking oven with temperature sensor, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.